By: Mark Wasik
Saturday, February 8
7 p.m. – Kennesaw State (14-9, 6-4 CUSA) vs. Middle Tennessee (15-8, 6-4 CUSA)
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. | KSU Convocation Center (3,805)
TV: ESPN+ (Nolan Alexander/Brandon Johnson/Bryce Gaubert)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast.com
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State men's basketball closes out its four-game homestand and will be looking to extend its win streak to three games as they welcome Middle Tennessee to the Convocation Center on Saturday night. The game will tip off at 5 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
A FEW NOTES
♦ Kennesaw State, picked to finish last in the preseason CUSA coaches' poll, currently stands in a tie for second place in the league standings. But with just three home games left on the Owls' slate, that leaves Saturday's game very important in their bid to challenge for the top of the league.
♦ This will be the seventh meeting between the two schools all-time (all won by MTSU), but the first five meetings came during Kennesaw State's years as a NAIA and Division II program. The Owls did not move up to Division I play until 2005-06. The other contest came in the first half of the CUSA season, a close 84-79 setback in Murfreesboro.
♦ The Owls have one of the top home court advantages in the nation over the past three years. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, KSU is 35-6 on its home court, including 11-1 this year.
♦ A huge difference for Kennesaw State this year is its work on the defensive side. A year ago, the Owls ranked 186th in field goal percentage defense and 263rd in three-point percentage defense. KSU has made a complete turnaround in 2024-25, ranking 44th in the nation in field goal defense at 40.6%, which is also fourth in Conference USA.
♦ KSU has been pounding the boards this season, as the Owls currently rank fourth in the nation in rebounding at 42.9 per game, which paces Conference USA. They are also 15th in rebound margin at +7.7, also the top mark in the league.
♦ KSU's freshman class is currently the third-highest scoring freshman class in the nation at 39.8 points per game, trailing only Duke (49.5 ppg) and Rutgers (44.4 ppg).
